A place to run inside and play

December 07, 2005|IDA CHIPMAN Tribune Correspondent

PLYMOUTH -- Sometimes you don't need a tennis court. What you really need is a big open place where a child can run loose on a cold day. That's the purpose of "Come Play With Me," on Fridays at the new Plymouth Tennis Complex. On Fridays, 12:30 to 2 p.m., you will find pre-schoolers with their bikes, scooters, hula hoops and bouncy balls having a grand old time at the 30,000-square-foot facility. The cost is $2 per child, and the parents are free. Keshena Hunter, who directs the program, said it's nice to see youngsters inside the complex. "It is so great for the little ones to have a chance to exercise and run around and play with other children," she said. "It's like having a park inside." And there is a lot of other good stuff going on. From 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, there will be a Family Night with fun games and activities for kids and their parents. Thirty-minute tennis matches will be held between parents and their older children. Pizza, snacks and drinks will be served. The cost is $20 for adults, $10 for children ages 6 to 12, and $5 for other children. Other activities that have already begun inside the massive structure include high school tennis leagues on Thursdays and Sundays, and junior high leagues on Fridays and Sundays. Owners Neil and Keshena Hunter would like to turn the facility into an all-sports complex. "We are looking into the possibility of acquiring temporary flooring that would permit us to have volleyball, basketball and other games," Neil said.